The Marriage deboucle

Episode 2

Without saying a word she picked her coat and bag up and made her way to the canteen following the fresh scent of coffee, willing her little legs to go a little faster as the scent became overbearing. Having woken a little later than planned she wasn't able to make her morning coffee cup never mind be able to taste the heavenly goodness.

It was there she met him, met him for the first time since the 'incident' had occurred a few months prior.

"You sick Granger?" He asked as he sat in front of her with a cup also in his long slender pale hands.

"Sort of ... I don't know ... I am hoping my Healer can figure it out for me" Hermione groaned slightly, she didn't want to explain what it was she was here for... well not until she knew what was going on with her body first.

He gave a gentle nod and swigged back his hot coffee.

"Look, I might need to come around to your place later if everything goes wrong here. I need to tell you something"

Frowning in confusion he let it slip and nodded his head slowly, He knew Hermione wouldn't willingly come to his Manor unless it was serious. Merlin when they had s*x it was always in her apartment, in all honestly he had missed their educational banter with her being the only person –apart from Severus- he felt he could hold a decent conversation with, but that path faltered quickly after the war as it did with Severus.

"I finish my shift now but can you come before 3.30 pm? I and the missus are having tea with Mother to discuss our future plans"

Hermione already knew Draco didn't want to be tied down to Astoria Greengrass, she had been his stalker from the very moment their parents introduced them when they were both in nappies, but could she tie him down with a similar commitment? Okay so marriage and a baby might not be the same but the both held the same long time commitment one must have to achieve maximum goals.

"Okay, I will be over after I have finished here" With a final nod of their heads towards each other they left to go their separate ways.

Hermione sat once again in the holding room waiting for her name to be called out for a second time that day. Draco had everything going for him, a well-paid job, a Manor and Family for him to fall back on and a loving girl by his side. What did she have? Ronald had broken up with her nearly a year to the day to be back with a bint, she was in a dead-end job she hated and the only Family that would consider talking to her was Harry, Ginny, Andromeda and Severus.

Ronald and Lavender Weasley had reunited last winter and got married the following summer. Of course, Hermione wasn't invited to the wedding. Oh no, why would the jealous ex-girlfriend be invited to a wedding? This she could understand but Hermione and Ron had been friends since the first year at Hogwarts didn't that count for anything? Obviously not so. Especially when Lavender was easily won over by the Weasley Family and soon after she continued to spread vicious rumours about Hermione to everyone and anyone that would listen. It was like being in high school all over again.

"Hermione Granger to room 208" A now male voice announced over the intercom informing Hermione that the Healer was ready to see her.

"Come back in Miss Granger" Healer Matthews stayed put in her chair and watched Hermione nervously enter back into the room, The petite witch closed the door silently and lowered herself back down into the oak wooden chair, she stared at the healer who was sat across from her. Her eyes filled with understanding and compassion. Hermione knew instantly what the results were to be.

"The results have come back …" The rest of the one-sided conversation seemed like a blur. Hermione sat straight in the rather uncomfortable chair listening to what the healer had to say. Hermione watched the woman's lips as she explained how far along Hermione was, her lips were moving but she couldn't hear a sound it was almost like an out-of-body experience. This wasn't happening to her … it couldn't happen to her, she silently wished for the Healer to be wrong, for the test results to have been mixed up somehow or for Ron and Harry to jump out of the cupboard and shout 'Bazinga'.

A little joke the trio shared from watching a muggle TV program. Oh, my word … Ron and Harry, what would they have to say about this? She was meant to be the sensible one out of the so-called 'Golden Trio', and then there was the Snape's, her adoptive family. Family, she didn't even know where her Parents where she could have really done with her Mummy at that particular moment to tell her everything was going to be okay and to stroke her brown curls like she used to.

That was all it took for the tears to come streaming down her face and she willingly let them, this was the release she so needed. The release of a build-up of emotions from the last year or so. Could she do this? Such a big responsibility for a kid fresh out of school, the 'incident' had been one of a drunken slumber and wasn't meant for anything everlasting, how was she meant to tell HIM and his family? Oh my, she did know how to choose them.

"There are always other ways Miss Granger, we can discuss these fully now or …"

Hermione glanced down at the 'Is keeping a baby the right choice for you?' leaflets before her icy gaze settled on the woman in front of her.

"You cannot seriously suggest I get rid of the baby, Merlin help me"

Hermione hissed as she abruptly left the medical office not listening to Healer Matthew's pleas for her to slow down and to go back into that horrible room. The automatic doors of St Mungo's Hospital automatically swung open -as she became within the motion sensor range- letting the cold and harsh January snow fly into the lobby area like a blizzard. Pulling her parka hood over her head and shoving her hands into her worn coat pockets she walked towards the apparition point.

Hermione was set on letting Draco Malfoy know he was about to become a Father.